Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Take a Woodland Walk

It was a busy day at Orphans of the Storm®, so that meant more walks around the woodland preserve trail when the off-leash runs were occupied. There are lots of good walking buddies at the shelter right now who have nice leash manners!

Max the four-year-old Shepherd mix is a big, big boy–or, more accurately, he’s a gentle giant. Max was nice and calm while he got his leash put on, and gave a quick tail wag before we headed off on our walk. Max is a very handsome boy, so between his size and his coloring, he’ll get lots of looks and attention when his future family walks him around the neighborhood!

Handsome Max

Max likes to walk at a quick pace, but doesn’t pull on the leash. He occasionally stopped and sniffed, but mostly just followed the trail with his head held high. We stopped at one of the benches towards the end and Max enjoyed getting a good scratch on the back. Max gets along with other dogs and is currently sharing his kennel, so he could go to a home with or without another dog. Stop in soon to see if Max is the pooch for you!

Max smiling on his walk

Ramsey the three-year-old Hound mix came from a family who could no longer care for him. This means he already has a lifetime of experience being a family dog and probably already knows some basic commands. We first went to the off-leash run, where Ramsey showed off his cuddling expertise when he joined me on the bench, put his paw in my lap, and gave me some doggy kisses.

Ramsey is always up for cuddling

Ramsey and I then hit the trail. Ramsey is great at walking on the leash and either stayed right by my side or just a couple steps ahead of me. He would sometimes look up at me as we walked, which is a good sign that he’ll pay attention to his new family’s instructions. Ramsey would do best in a home with adults and/or teenagers. If that description fits you, be sure to say hi to Ramsey!

Ramsey says, “Ready or not, here I come!”

Lola the one-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix is a little cutie who can also be a little bit of a handful at first, but calms down considerably after a couple minutes. She wanted to play tug-of-war with the leash when she first got out of the kennel, but once we got to the woodland trail she started walking nicely. She has a cute, happy face and pretty brindle fur.

Lola stopping for a quick drink

Lola enjoyed sniffing and exploring the different plants along the trail. At the end of our walk, Lola stretched out in a shady spot of grass to cool off and relax. I was able to give her a quick belly rub then. Lola is not a fan of other dogs and got pretty distracted by them when we passed others on our walk, so she should be the only dog in her future home. If you’re a one-dog type of person, come in soon to meet Lola!

Lola being a good walking companion

Josh the five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix is such a good boy! Another volunteer was already out with him and Josh greeted me with an enthusiastic tail wag when I took the leash. Josh walks super nicely on the leash and didn’t pull at all until the very end of our walk, when I think he was ready to go back inside to get a drink and enjoy the air conditioning.

Josh’s sweet face

Josh hopped up on the bench next to me when we took a break halfway around the trail. He sat when I asked him to, though that may have just been a coincidence. I then asked him to “shake” and picked up his paw, which he had no problems with. When it was time to get his portrait taken for the website, he calmly stood next to me while I tied a bandana around his neck and then posed for the camera with a cute head tilt. He also loves treats and takes them very gently from your hand. Be sure to say hi to Josh on your next visit to the shelter!

Josh made sure to stop and smell the flowers

Carlos the five-year-old Black and Tan Coonhound mix is a friendly boy with plenty of energy. He was jumping up and down when he saw it was his turn to come out and quickly led the way to the off-leash run. There was a much smaller dog in the run next to us. Carlos politely sniffed it through the fence and went back multiple times to say hello again. His tail was always wagging and he didn’t bark at all.

Carlos with his wagging tail

Carlos absolutely loves walks. When I said, “Do you want to go for a walk?”, he immediately perked up and jumped up to put his front paws on me, saying, “Yes, please please please!” Carlos, like some of the other Hounds I’ve walked, was in his element in the woodland preserve. You can really tell that he was bred to be in that environment. We ran all the way around the trail, and Carlos either had his nose to the ground or high in the air. If you’re looking for an active companion, come in soon to meet Carlos!

[…] Carlos the three-year-old Black and Tan Coonhound mix is a big, strong boy with a big heart to match. He loves going for walks and particularly seems to like walking in wooded areas, where there are smells both on the ground and in the air for him to follow. And he has those great floppy ears that are so much fun to pet! […]

[…] Carlos the five-year-old Black-and-Tan Coonhound mix. Carlos is a big, strong boy who loves toys and is also happy to play dress-up! He cooperates very nicely when we put the dogs in costumes for holidays and special occasions. Carlos has a great time playing with certain doggy friends, but in general prefers the company of people to that of other dogs. Carlos would do best in an adult-only home. […]